There are a variety of limb deformities of both a congenital and/or acquired nature due to skeletal, muscle, tendon or nervous system defects.
In the treatment of these defects, a variety of braces have been evolved over the years for purposes of limiting the range of motion of the wearer's feet relative to each other.
Fixed bracing of the legs of the wearer to immobilize the legs has come to be recognized as undesirable for most treatment. The present trend in orthopedic treatment is to provide some sort of appliance which will limit the relative movement of the feet of the wearer, while at the same time permitting some movement for purposes of exercise and the maintenance of muscle tone in the restricted limbs, as shown for example by U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,136,150; 2,963,020; 3,477,426; and 3,487,829.
However, these above referenced prior art braces, though permitting some relative movement of the feet of the patient, employ relatively complex structures requiring relative skill in the adjustment and in securement of the braces to the shoes or feet of the patient.